Copywriting for IT: how to make your writing cool?

Translators Family blog: IT copywriting

How to make your IT copywriting cool?

A common reason for bad texts is that humanists have little understanding of code, and developers like to throw around terms. How to fight it: listen, retell it in “human” terms – the IT specialist must nod in agreement. Important: the final text should be given to a specialist who knows the subject, for it to be proofread. This will protect you from numerous problems. And at the stage of edits, you will understand your mistakes and get little tips on the subject.

Reconnaissance before the fight

Whom do you usually write about IT for? In my experience, mostly for IT people themselves, or for those who plan to work in the field. The problem becomes more complicated when you need to introduce new developments and technologies to people who are not in the know. In this case, you have to translate the content from IT to human language, as was discussed in the paragraph above. 

If you are writing for IT people, I advise you to start with some reconnaissance – it will help you get to know your audience better and get a feel for the optimal tone of voice. Here are some useful websites I’ve scouted for you: 

  1. Hacker News is a website where people submit links and have interesting discussions about them. Most of the submissions are related to Silicon Valley, entrepreneurship, and tech. 
  2. diff.blog is an engineering blog aggregator. The website aggregates blog posts from thousands of engineering and developer blogs (including blogs on dev.to). 

 

Friendship in the kitchen

Internet scouting is good; live communication is even better. If you write remotely, find places where IT people congregate where you live. Meet-ups, get-togethers, conferences – go, listen, and observe. If you work in an office, visit the kitchen more often and eavesdrop on conversations, and have a conversation yourself, even on random topics. You can discuss the latest movies, video games, or the world of technology. 

A good way to start a conversation is to ask your colleagues about the latest developments of Elon Musk or Internet giants like Google. To stay up to date, flip through the feeds of online publications and technology pages.

 

What kind of text will interest an IT person? 

Here are a few tricks that will make your text more effective. 

  1. The secret to success is a tenacious “go-to”. IT news and IT memes also help. 
  2. Address the reader as “you” if it’s appropriate. 
  3. Fewer letters. Those in IT appreciate time. 
  4. Structure your text well. Make the logic of the text clear even before you read it. 
  5. Don’t overuse terminology – it is noticeable and risky. 

 

A cheat sheet 

Humor and useful information will help you make friends with the IT guys reading your text. Here is a selection of topics that this type of audience is most interested in: 

  • Fantastic movies about future technologies 
  • Video games 
  • Developments related to artificial intelligence 
  • Travel 
  • Healthy lifestyle
  • English skills and language learning 
  • Planning and self-development 

That’s all for now. I hope that you’ll find this information useful and that it inspires you to write cool texts about technology. Good luck! 

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